


Leandra's Twentieth Birthday

by Willowflower_Waterlily



Series: Evelyn and Malcolm Hawke (Series 2) [11]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 23:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4368434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowflower_Waterlily/pseuds/Willowflower_Waterlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leandra purposefully doesn't tell her parents that she can not leave Skyhold for her birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Leandra crawls into bed, hoping she can sleep through tomorrow. She knows she can’t, but she wishes for it on a yearly basis.

“Did you get a letter back from ma and pa?” Lucy’s voice stops Leandra from spiraling into self-loathing as she does every year on the night before her birthday. Turning over, she sees her sister standing by her bed, tapping her foot expectantly.

“No, but I didn’t send the letters.” Lucy throws her hands in the air, scowling at Leandra. “I’m not sure why you’re so upset about this. It’s my birthday and not yours. They were just here last month for your birthday. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“But they’re your parents too. It’s your twentieth birthday. I know they would want to be here for it.”

Leandra grumbles in response, knowing her sister would never understand. Turning to face away from her sister, she closes her eyes tightly and prays her birthday passes quickly.

 

Training has always been an escape for Leandra. She can lose herself and anything that bothers her when she has a sword in her hands. Going through the motions, Leandra practices her foot work first, following it up with combining it with swinging her blade at the training dummy. She knows some of the other soldiers stopped practicing to watch her, but she doesn’t mind. Within the first year of her being in Skyhold, Commander Cullen had her training some of the other recruits. As Leandra trains, she hopes the others are picking up on anything that would help them improve.

“You’ve been beating up on that poor training dummy for hours.” Commander Cullen’s voice breaks Leandra’s focus. Sheathing her blade, Leandra snaps to attention, saluting him. “At ease, Leandra.”

“Sir.” Leandra reaches for one of the wooden mugs hanging over a bucket of water, turning her back on Cullen.

“You have the day off, why are you training today?”

Leandra knows it should be a simple question to answer but it isn’t. Everyone else takes their birthday as their one day to relax and spend time with family and friends. Guilt wraps its hand around her heart, squeezing it tightly. How can she explain it the commander, to anyone? She doesn’t want to celebrate the day she nearly killed her mother by coming into the world.  A hand on her shoulder startles her from her thoughts. Looking up, Leandra sees understanding in his eyes.

“You don’t have to explain to me.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Leandra replies quietly. Turning to walk away, Leandra is stopped when Cullen tightens his grip on her shoulder.

“I know you don’t want to celebrate your birthday, but please meet me in the tavern for dinner anyways. It doesn’t have to be in celebration of your birthday.” Leandra spins on her heels to face Cullen. Worry is etched into his expression as he frowns at her. Forcing a smile, Leandra nods at the man who has become like a second father to her in her years of living and training at Skyhold.

“I will meet you there at seventh bell, Sir.”


	2. Chapter 2

Malcolm looks around the tavern full of people waiting to surprise his eldest daughter. “I hadn’t realized Leandra is so well liked here.”

“She doesn’t realize it either.” Lucy grouses, twirling a strand of her light brown hair. “She thinks people are being nice to her because of you and ma, but what she doesn’t realize is that people see the effort she puts into her training and how she goes out of her way to help.”

Leliana slips into the tavern, signaling that Leandra is close by, before Malcolm can reply to Lucy’s comments. A moment or two later, Leandra and Cullen walk in together. A brief surge of jealousy pulses through Malcolm when he sees how close his daughter has become with Cullen. He pushes it down and joins the others in shouting surprise.

Malcolm sees guilt flash through Leandra’s eyes before her expression closes up. Pushing through the people who all want to greet his daughter at once, Malcolm practically shoves the people right in front of her away and pulls Leandra into a tight embrace.

“I’ve missed you, my baby girl.” Leandra tries to pull out of his embrace, but Malcolm doesn’t want to let his eldest go just yet. “You never have been, nor will you ever be a burden to your mother and me.” Planting a kiss on Leandra’s cheek, Malcolm lets her go.

“You didn’t have to come out all this way, just for this.” Leandra motions around the tavern. “You and ma were just here last month. We could have done a thing for Lucy and myself.”

“We didn’t have to.” Evelyn agrees, pulling Leandra into a hug. “We want to be here, to celebrate the birth of our oldest baby.”

“But, you were so close to dying, because of me.” Leandra whispers, tears shinning in her eyes. Evelyn squeezes Leandra tighter, and Malcolm wraps his arms around them both.

“If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change anything.” Evelyn’s voice sharpens as she clings to her daughter. “All those years of raising you, of loving you have been worth it. I am so lucky that I have a daughter like you. Your father and I will always be there for you, we’ll never think it a hassle to lean on us, or to want us to visit.”


	3. Chapter 3

Evelyn nudges Malcolm’s side, keeping her eyes on the man eyeing her daughter from a far. She looks him over, slim build, curly light brown hair, and dark green eyes. “He’s been staring at Leandra all night but hasn’t made a move to go over and talk to her.”

“He’s too shy.” Lucy says, sitting down on Evelyn’s other side. “His name is Will, and he’s had a crush on Leandra from the moment she and I arrived here.”

“Have they spoken at all?” Evelyn asks, while Malcolm tilts his head, lost in thought.

“Mostly training, but I have managed to force him into conversations with her before.” Lucy taps her fingers on the table a moment, shaking her head. “I think he truly does care for her, but she’s so blind to people liking her at all that she doesn’t even realize that someone could care for her.”

 

“May I?” Evelyn gestures to the seat beside Will. He nods, not taking his eyes off on Leandra. “So, I’ve noticed you ogling my daughter, but haven’t actually done anything about it.” Will’s gaze snaps in Evelyn’s direction, his eyes growing wide.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been staring.” He tries to stand up, but Evelyn stops him. “I shouldn’t really be here, I’m a mage. They didn’t invite any mages except Lucy here. She invited me… I’m rambling, I’ll shut up now.”

Evelyn forces herself not to laugh at the shy young man. “It’s okay, please tell me about yourself. Where are you from? What brings you to the Inquisition?”

“I was born here in Skyhold. Both of my parents have been with the Inquisition from the start. When my magic manifested, I began to study with the mages that decided to remain.” Will shifts his gaze from Evelyn to his hands, as he wrings them together nervously.

“And you’ve had feelings for Leandra for how long?” Evelyn asks her tone soft. She watches Will closes his eyes and take a few deep breaths.

“I saw her when she first arrived here with Lucy. I… felt drawn to her, but when I found out who she is, I tried to stay away. My parents aren’t noble, they’re soldiers.”

“That doesn’t matter to her or to us.” Malcolm informs Will, sitting down beside Evelyn. “Have you talked to her at all?”

“I have, mostly during mixed unit training, but occasionally Lucy would talk me into having dinner with them. She would start a conversation and push me to get involved with it, questions directed at me.” Will looks up from his hands, shifting uncomfortably under Malcolm’s and Evelyn’s gazes.

“It’s not just us being her parents that makes you avoid her, is it?” Malcolm cocks an eyebrow at the young man, smirking as he reads Will like he is an open book.

“No, she is very skilled both with a blade and with strategy. She can best nearly anyone she sets her mind to, with the exception of a couple of the captains, and the commander himself. Leandra has been training new recruits after having only been here for about a year.” Will huffs, letting his gaze wander back to Leandra as she talks and laughs with her siblings. “I am not good enough.”

Evelyn and Malcolm stare at one another, having a wordless conversation. Nodding, Evelyn sets her hand on Will’s shoulder. “We think you’re good enough.”


	4. Chapter 4

Leandra hugs her parents, Junior, and Solana once more before they mount their horses. “If you want us to stay longer, we can.” Her parents smile down at her.

“No, that’s okay. I know there’s a lot of work that needs to be done at home, and Junior wants to get back to Marric.”

“If you’re sure that’s what you want.”

Leandra stares at her mother for a moment, torn. She misses them all constantly, but she doesn’t want them to fall behind on things at home because of her. Her mother dismounts and embraces her. “I love you my baby Lea. Make sure you write more often, it truly makes my day when I get to hear from you and Lucy.”

“I love you too, mommy.” Leandra whispers, resting her head on her mother’s shoulder.

“Be safe, my little love.” Pulling away from her, Evelyn gently wipes Leandra’s tears away, and kisses her cheek. “We are so proud of you, never forget that.” Leandra nods, not trusting herself to speak.

“Come to see us sometime too.” Her father adds while her mother gets back onto her horse. “We’ll always be there for you, my little heart.”

Leandra blows them a last kiss, and waves as they ride for home.


End file.
